What makes an urban neighborhood more livable? Being able to get around safely is one piece of the puzzle. But the spaces we occupy while moving from place to place matter, too. Trees and other vegetation help make these spaces more resilient. They can serve as “living buffers” between people and air pollution. They make neighborhoods more walkable, spending time outdoors more enjoyable, and can even improve our health.
Thanks to a Sustainable Transportation Equity Project (STEP) grant funded by the California Air Resources Board, WOEIP is partnering with the Oakland Parks and Recreation Foundation, Hyphae Design Labs, and the City of Oakland to plant hundreds of trees throughout West Oakland.
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Tree equity: Who gets trees in their neighborhood?
Why are some neighborhoods so much greener than others? Walking around West Oakland, it can sometimes be hard to believe you’re in a town named after the mighty oak. It turns out that neighborhoods that were historically redlined in the ‘30s and ‘40s live today with only half the tree cover of their “greenlined” neighborhood counterparts. We want to restore the safety, accessibility, and joy that trees bring by planting more of them over the coming year.
Using trees to foster a more resilient community
Trees provide a lot of community benefits:
- Trees cool things down in an ever-warming climate by providing necessary shade and keeping pavement from absorbing the sun’s heat.
- They naturally remove pollutants from the air.
- They create a habitat for birds and other wildlife, supporting a diverse ecosystem.
- Trees create a more attractive, walkable neighborhood, which encourages people to get out of their cars and take to the streets.
- Tree roots absorb rainwater to help prevent flooding.
- Trees are a natural stress reliever in a hectic urban environment. Just being around trees can lower blood pressure and improve health.
How our tree planting program works
We’re helping to plant hundreds of trees throughout West Oakland. You can request trees where you live, or tell us where you’d like to see more trees anywhere in West Oakland.
Request a tree be planted at a specific address
- Tell us where you want a tree.
- We’ll send a tree expert out to confirm if the site is eligible for planting.
- If the site is eligible, our experts will help select the right type of tree—and even plant it for you.
- We’ll work with you and local tree experts to keep the tree happy and healthy for years to come.
Want to know more?
For project details, questions, or to share your feedback directly, email trees@woeip.org.
Your email will be delivered to WOEIP and Hyphae Design Labs.
In partnership with:
This work is made possible with funding from:
We’re bringing more trees to West Oakland through a Sustainable Transportation Equity Project (STEP) grant funded by the California Air Resources Board (CARB). The West Oakland STEP grant aims to improve transportation equity in West Oakland by centering the community’s lived knowledge and expertise in transportation projects. STEP is part of California Climate Investments, a statewide initiative that puts billions of Cap-and-Trade dollars to work reducing greenhouse gas emissions, strengthening the economy, and improving public health and the environment — particularly in disadvantaged communities.